Saturday, January 29, 2022 06:00 PM (ET)

Panthers rally from 3rd-period deficit to best Sharks

Field Level Media
Jan 29, 2022

Sam Bennett scored 1:08 into overtime, leading the Florida Panthers to their ninth straight home win, 5-4 over the visiting San Jose Sharks on Saturday night in Sunrise, Fla.

Jonathan Huberdeau had the primary assist on the game-winner by Bennett, who was waiting in the slot.

Florida, which rallied from a 4-2 third-period deficit, never led until its last goal.

The Panthers got an early goal from Gustav Forsling and third-period tallies from Aleksander Barkov, Mason Marchment and Huberdeau. Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made 30 saves, including a stop on a Rudolfs Balcers breakaway.

For the Sharks, Jonathan Dahlen scored two power-play goals. Tomas Hertl and Matt Nieto also scored for San Jose, but Sharks goalie James Reimer -- formerly a member of the Panthers -- couldn't hold the lead. Reimer had a season-high 45 saves.

The Panthers, the highest-scoring team in the NHL, haven't lost at home since Dec. 16 against the Los Angeles Kings. The Panthers have the league's best home record (23-3-0).

San Jose scored the first two goals of the first period.

First, Balcers' two-foot lateral pass along the goal-line freed Hertl, who beat Bobrovsky five-hole.

Then, on a Sharks power play, Noah Gregor got to a loose puck and dished to Dahlen, who triple-pumped from the slot before firing a hard shot. Bobrovsky was screened by San Jose's Jasper Weatherby.

Florida got on the board with 54 seconds left in the first on a sequence that started when Sharks defenseman Brent Burns whiffed on the puck behind his own net. Sam Reinhart got the steal and fed Forsling, who scored on a one-timer from the left circle.

San Jose extended its lead to 3-1 on Nieto's goal just 91 seconds into the second. Nick Bonino's lateral pass found a charging Nieto, who scored from the slot.

Florida scored 86 seconds into the third on a give-and-go from Huberdeau to Barkov, who scored from the slot, beating Reimer's glove.

Dahlen's second goal, this one with 15:10 left in the third, gave San Jose a 4-2 lead.

But the Panthers kept coming, tying the score with two quick tallies: Marchment poking the puck in at the goal line and Huberdeau's tap-in off a perfect Carter Verhaeghe pass.

--Field Level Media

Covers 25 Years Logo Established in 1995,
Covers is the world
leader in sports
betting information.
Covers is verified safe by: Evalon Logo GPWA Logo GDPR Logo GeoTrust Logo Evalon Logo